Massachusetts legal challenge eviction moratorium

Federal Court Will Consider Constitutionality of Eviction Moratorium After State Judge Declines to Issue Injunction

by Rich Vetstein on August 29, 2020

in COVID-19, Housing Court, Landlord Tenant Law, Massachusetts Real Estate Law, Rental Housing

Federal Court Judge Mark Wolf (Boston Globe Staff photo by Ted Fitzgerald)

Suffolk Superior Court Justice Paul Wilson Leaves Moratorium In Place, But Federal Judge Mark Wolf To Hear Arguments on Federal Constitutionality Next Tuesday

For those following the state and federal lawsuits against the Eviction Moratorium (where I am lead counsel), it was a roller-coaster week. While we were arguing the case in federal court on Wednesday, Suffolk Superior Court Justice Paul Wilson released his ruling declining to issue an injunction against the Eviction Moratorium. (See below). We were of course disappointed in the decision, however, it will have no impact on the federal case. This is because we removed all of the federal constitutional claims (First Amendment, Right to Petition, Takings and Contracts Clause) to federal court earlier. The state court case only dealt with state constitutional issues. In any event, we are considering an appeal of Judge Wilson’s ruling as we feel he gave the state too much deference and there may have been some incorrect legal analysis.

In the federal court case, Judge Wolf rejected the Attorney General’s argument that he abstain from hearing the case in light of the pending state court case, reasoning that a federal court is duty-bound to hear the constitutionality of the law. Judge Wolf also raised the possibility of the Attorney General engaging in settlement discussions with us or agreeing to mediation. My comment was of course we would consider that but the AG has always been fighting this tooth and nail and that hasn’t changed. The AG attorney confirmed that. Judge Wolf also made an interesting comment about the state’s successful pandemic response — essentially that while a Moratorium may have been reasonable back in April, it may not be so reasonable now since Massachusetts has done so well against the virus.

Interesting comments as we head into a week of hearings on whether the landlords are entitled to a preliminary injunction stopping enforcement of the Act, starting Tuesday, Sept. 1 at 130pm. Mark your calendars! It will be publicly available. Sign up form below:

Access to the hearing will be made available to the media and public. In order to gain access to the hearing, you must sign up at the following address: https://public.mad.uscourts.gov/seating-signup.html.

Anyways, this case has been quite the interesting ride. The good news is that we are still in this fight, and very much so! Thank you again for all your support. Funding link for donations to legal fees is here: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8orbLzpxbY

Matorin v. Commonwealth of Massachusetts Decision on Preliminary Injunction by Richard Vetstein on Scribd

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Gov. Baker Sued, Military Veteran Added In Federal Eviction Moratorium Challenge

by Rich Vetstein on August 13, 2020

in Massachusetts Real Estate Law

“You Can’t Evict Me So I’m Not Paying Shit.” — Tenant Tells Jonathan DaPonte, a Fall River Housing Provider and Former Iraq Combat Veteran.

Jonathan DaPonte, Iraq Combat Veteran and Small Landlord

For those following our federal and state lawsuits challenging the Massachusetts Eviction Moratorium Act, I have some important updates for you.

In the federal case (Baptiste v. EOHED, USDC, CA 1:20-cv-11335), we have added Governor Baker as a defendant, and are seeking that the court order him to rescind his recent extension of the Moratorium through Oct. 17, as well as enjoin him from any future extensions.

We have also added a new plaintiff, Jonathan DaPonte, a former combat veteran in Operation Iraqi Freedom. DaPonte is a small landlord in Fall River, who works as a local funeral director. His tenant has not paid him thousands of dollars in rent since April, telling him “you can’t evict me so I am not paying shit.” The tenant is still working, has no Covid-19 related hardship, and like many tenants across the state, is taking advantage of the Moratorium to get out of paying rent, as we claim in our lawsuit. A husband and father of two small kids, Mr. DaPonte has been picking up extra hours at his funeral director job, in order to cover his rental losses due to the Moratorium. These stories are playing out across Massachusetts. Jon, like so many other housing providers, are being forced by the state to provide free rental housing to their tenants. The Moratorium has been a disaster and completely unfair for housing providers across the state. A link to our new Amended Complaint is below.

The Attorney General has been fighting us tooth and nail, filing hundreds of pages of legal briefs and a motion to dismiss the case, arguing that the state enjoys “sovereign immunity” against any lawsuits. We have filed an opposition to that motion. Earlier in the case, we were successful in persuading Judge Wolf to deny four tenant groups, including City Life/Urbana Vida’s attempt to directly intervene in the case and file friend of the court briefs.

We just got word today that Judge Wolf will conduct a hearing in the case on August 24, 2020 at 10am! We aren’t sure if it will be live-streamed or not, but we’ll let you know here.

In the state case pending in Suffolk Superior Court, we had a three hour hearing on July 30th (blog post here), and are waiting for Judge Wilson to rule on the case, hopefully soon!

We appreciate everyone’s donations and hope to see them keep coming. For those wishing to donate online, the link is  https://paypal.me/pools/c/8orbLzpxbY

Many thanks, Richard Vetstein, Esq. & Jordana Greenman, Esq.

First Amended Complaint, Federal Challenge to Massachusetts Eviction Moratorium by Richard Vetstein on Scribd

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Federal Court Challenge to Massachusetts Eviction Moratorium Filed by Small Housing Providers

by Rich Vetstein on July 16, 2020

in COVID-19, Housing Court, Landlord Tenant Law, Leasing, Massachusetts Real Estate Law, Rental Housing

Federal Lawsuit Filed by Marie Baptiste, a Nurse Originally from Haiti Who Is Owed Nearly $19,000 in Back Rent

Updated (9/25/20): Judge Wolf Rules That Extension of Moratorium Past Oct. 17 Likely Unconstitutional; Gov. Baker Signals No Extension

As the Legislature and Gov. Baker consider extending the Eviction Moratorium Act, which expires Aug. 18, a new lawsuit challenging the Moratorium has been filed in Federal Court in Boston. I am lead counsel in the case, along with my colleague, Jordana Greenman, Esq. The case is Baptiste v. Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States District Court – Massachusetts, CA 1:20-CV-11335 (MLW).

Local Nurse Owed Nearly $19,000 from Tenants

The federal suit is filed by Marie Baptiste, a long time dedicated nurse originally from Haiti, who owns rental property in Randolph. Unfortunately Ms. Baptiste’s tenants owe her nearly $19,000 in back rent, and they refuse to even communicate with her. Under the current Eviction Moratorium, she cannot even send out a notice to quit or start a new eviction case. If the Act is extended, as new legislation provides, she will be forced to house these non-paying tenants potentially for another 12+ months, which will certainly result in financial ruin. The second plaintiff is Mitch Matorin, who owns rental property in Worcester and has a pending Housing Court eviction against his tenants who owe him $7,200 in back rent. Ms. Baptiste’s and Mr. Matorin’s stories are being replicated throughout the state as thousands of small rental housing providers struggle to keep afloat during the Covid-19 crisis.

Federal Constitutional Claims

In the new lawsuit, we are seeking to strike down and enjoin the Moratorium, as unconstitutional. The Moratorium has shut down virtually every pending and future eviction case statewide since April 20, 2020. Massachusetts has survived the Civil War, Great Depression, two World Wars, the 1917 Influenza pandemic, and numerous recessions, and until now has never implemented a wholesale moratorium on the exercise of the most basic right underlying the entire field of rental housing, the right to evict.  

We believe that the Act violates the following four separate constitutional rights of our clients:  (1) the right to petition the judiciary; (2) the right of free speech under the First Amendment; (3) the right to just compensation for an unlawful taking of their property under the Fifth Amendment; and (4) is an unconstitutional impairment of their leases under the Contracts Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Housing providers like Marie and Mitch remain obligated to pay their mortgages, real estate taxes, insurance, and water/sewer used by non-paying tenants, and to maintain their properties in compliance with the state sanitary code, while being deprived of the revenue required to do those things. With the Governor having the unfettered right to extend the Act for unlimited 90-day periods and ongoing legislative efforts to extend the moratorium for a full year or longer, this one-sided obligation and burden will continue indefinitely. Many small rental property owners, especially those on fixed income rely on rents to afford to live in their own homes. 

The case has been assigned to Judge Mark Wolf. The court will schedule a hearing on our request for an injunction, likely in early August.  

State Court Lawsuit Remains Pending, Hearing Scheduled for July 30

Our lawsuit in Suffolk Superior Court is still pending. We have a major hearing on July 30 (with friend of the court briefs due July 24), and with this new federal case being filed, we are hopeful that two lawsuits in play will give pause to legislators and the Governor as they consider whether to extend the Moratorium and the new extension bill, H.D. 5166. 

Thank you all for your continued support. We would be remiss if we didn’t post the link to our fundraising Paypal https://paypal.me/pools/c/8orbLzpxbY.  We have spent many many hours and long nights on this case, as you can imagine. Our legal brief can be read below.

Memo re. Preliminary Injunc… by Richard Vetstein on Scribd

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Superior Court Agrees to Fast Track Eviction Moratorium Challenge, Seeks Friend-Of-The-Court (Amicus Curiae) Briefs

by Rich Vetstein on July 13, 2020

in COVID-19, Housing Court, Landlord Tenant Law, Leasing, Massachusetts Real Estate Law, Rental Housing, Safety

Justice Paul Wilson, Mass. Superior Court

Superior Court Justice Paul Wilson Sets Preliminary Injunction Hearing for July 30, Asks For Amicus Curiae Briefs Filed by July 24

After the Supreme Judicial Court sent our legal challenge to the recently enacted Eviction Moratorium Act back down to the Suffolk Superior Court, the case is now moving quickly. Justice Paul Wilson, who was specially assigned to preside over the case, has issued briefing and scheduling orders, and has invited affected property owners (and tenants) to file friend-of-the-court (amicus curiae) briefs by July 24, 2020. He has scheduled a hearing on the plaintiff rental property owners’ motion for a preliminary injunction to enjoin the Act, for July 30, 2020. Judge Wilson’s order inviting amicus briefs is embedded below.

If you are a rental property owner and have an interest in submitting a friend of the court brief detailing how you have been impacted by the Moratorium (and the possibility of it being extended further), please contact me ([email protected]) or my co-counsel, Jordana Greenman ([email protected]), and we can coordinate with you.

The hearing on July 30 will most likely be on Zoom, and we are not sure yet of whether it will be open to the general public. We’ll keep you posted!

Superior Court Amicus Invitation, Matorin v. Commonwealth by Richard Vetstein on Scribd

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SJC Punts On Challenge to Eviction Moratorium Act

by Rich Vetstein on June 25, 2020

in Massachusetts Real Estate Law

Mass. Supreme Judicial Court Justices

SJC Sends Case Down to Suffolk Superior Court; Rental Property Owners Gear Up For Federal Court Fight

As many of you know, I am lead counsel in the legal challenge to overturn the COVID-19 Eviction Moratorium Act, which was filed with the Supreme Judicial Court at the end of May. The case is Matorin v. Chief Justice of the Housing Court, SJC-2020-0442. The Attorney General’s Office agreed with us that the SJC should take up the case. However, yesterday, Justice David Lowy ordered the case sent down to the Suffolk Superior Court for consideration of all the issues raised by the petition. Suffice to say, we are very disappointed that the SJC has declined to take up the constitutionality of the Eviction Moratorium, which is causing widespread financial and personal harm to rental housing providers across the state. Perhaps the Act is simply too much of a political “hot potato” for the SJC to weigh in during this global pandemic. Justice Lowy provided no reasoning or rationale for taking such action. See Order below.

Nevertheless, the case will still proceed in Suffolk Superior Court and we have lost nothing except for some time. The merits of our claims have not yet been addressed and will be considered by the Superior Court in due course. We will do everything we can to fast-track the case. The case has been specially assigned to the very well respected Justice Paul D. Wilson, appointed by Gov. Patrick and formerly a partner at Mintz, Levin.

Despite this, we are not going down without a fight. We have decided to file our federal constitutional claims in Federal Court in Boston, seeking to strike down the Moratorium. We are hopeful that the federal court will give us a fair shot. I’ll keep you posted on that front as well. 

It seems like we are fighting everyone on these important issues for the rental property community. Meanwhile, state Cambridge Rep. Mike Connolly and Congresswoman Pressley just held a virtual town hall on Facebook, and said they are filing a bill to extend the Moratorium for 12 MONTHS. They are also filing a bill to FREEZE rents, as well as RENT CONTROL. Obviously, this would be devastating to rental housing providers. We could use some positive PR and stories about small landlords being really hurt by this Moratorium. 

This fight will go on — to the end. I’ll keep you posted. Also, with more litigation, comes more legal fees and expenses. We are still seeking donations to the cause. To contribute please click our secure Paypal link: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8orbLzpxbY.

Single Justice Order of Transfer Matorin v. Chief Justice by Richard Vetstein on Scribd

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Constitutional Challenge to COVID-19 Eviction Moratorium Act Filed With SJC

by Rich Vetstein on May 29, 2020

in COVID-19, Housing Court, Landlord Tenant Law, Leasing, Massachusetts Real Estate Law, Rental Housing

Rental Property Owners File Emergency Petition with Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Asserting COVID-19 Eviction Moratorium Act Is Unconstitutional

Attorney Richard D. Vetstein and his colleague, Jordana Roubicek Greenman, Esq., have filed an Emergency Petition with the Supreme Judicial Court on behalf of two local rental property owners challenging the constitutionality of the recently passed, Act Providing For a Moratorium On Evictions and Foreclosures During the COVID-19 Emergency and the its regulations. A copy of the Petition can be viewed below.

One of the plaintiffs is a elderly woman on a fixed income whose tenant owes her over $6,000 in back rent and told her “The Governor says I don’t have to pay my rent anymore.” She risks bankruptcy and foreclosure if something isn’t done. The other plaintiff has a non-payment eviction in progress in Worcester Housing Court, and is owed several months of rent with no likelihood of any payment while the Act suspends his case.

As outlined in the Petition, the Eviction Moratorium Act imposes an unprecedented and indefinite shutdown of virtually every future and pending eviction case in the state, as well as prohibiting landlords from even issuing notices to quit.  The Petitioners, two local rental property owners saddled with non-paying tenants whom they cannot evict, claim irreparable harm on behalf of themselves and all other similarly situated rental property owners across the state.  The Petitioners assert the Act is an unconstitutional infringement on their constitutional right to access the courts and right to petition. They also claim the Act is an unconstitutional interference by the Legislature on the core functions of the courts.  Further, the Act operates as a “taking” without just compensation because it forces rental property owners to house non-paying tenants without any recourse.  Lastly, the Petitioners argue the Act violates the U.S. Constitution’s Contracts Clause as it unconstitutionally impairs their lease agreements.

 The operation of the Act obligates rental property owners to pay their own mortgages, real estate taxes, insurance, and water/sewer used by non-paying tenants, and to maintain their properties and comply with the state sanitary code, while being effectively deprived of the revenue required to do those things.  Given the unpredictable nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, this one-sided obligation and burden will continue indefinitely and quite possibly into 2021.  Many small rental property owners, especially those on fixed income, rely on rents to afford to live in their own homes.

The Supreme Judicial Court is expected to take up the case next week, and will hopefully schedule it for hearing. I will provide you with updates of course.

We are also still seeking donations to the cause. To contribute please click our secure Paypal link: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8orbLzpxbY.

Matorin v Chief Justice, SJ… by Richard Vetstein on Scribd

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